Why Pursue a Career in Interpretation and Translation?

Translation involves transferring a written message from one language to another. The text to be translated may be a treaty, a law, or a press release; a user manual, bidding specifications, or engineering plans; a novel, a poem, or a play; a handwritten letter, a medical textbook, or a historical document: in short, anything that is written is a potential translation assignment.

As with other professions, computers are an essential tool for translators. Not only does the professional translator rely on the personal computer for word processing, desktop publishing, and glossary databases, but in-house translators work on networks that feature computer aids such as glossary management and translation software. Translators who work with machine translation software must become adept at the pre- and post-editing that such programs require. In addition, many translators become involved in the design and engineering of translation software, performing tasks such as building dictionaries and writing rules for parsing. Another aspect of the software industry that relies heavily on translators is localization, the adaptation of programs and user manuals to other linguistic and cultural environments.

Translators work as full-time employees or as freelancers for international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States; they are employed by government agencies including the Department of State and the National Security Agency and work for nonprofit organizations like the Red Cross and church organizations; private companies, such as software developers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, international corporations and law firms, as well as translation agencies.

Although interpretation and translation have much in common, the practice of each profession differs in the same way that written language differs from spoken. Both translation and interpretation involve careful analysis of meaning in context and attention to extra-linguistic aspects of communication. Interpreters must be good public speakers who are adept at grasping the meaning and solving complex linguistic problems quickly, whereas translators must be able to conduct thorough and meticulous research and produce accurate, camera-ready documents while adhering to tight deadlines.

Translation and interpretation are complementary pursuits: The research conducted for a translation project can enhance in-depth knowledge of a given subject and ease preparation for a subsequent interpreting assignment, while the spontaneity necessary for interpretation can increase the speed with which translation assignments can be completed. By the same token, the training received in the MATI program is complementary in that students reinforce their mastery of the written and oral aspects of their working languages by performing both translation and interpretation of related texts. Recent technological innovations blur the distinction between the two.

Many clients, unaware of the distinction between the two aspects of the profession, expect the same person to be able to perform both tasks. Graduates have found that being able to provide both translation and interpretation services gives them a significant edge in today's competitive job market.

Despite the growing demand for translators and interpreters, top-level training for these positions is available at only a limited number of institutions worldwide. GSTI is the premier school in North America offering graduate programs in both translation and interpretation. Students' training involves gaining analytical and technical skills, cultural literacy, conduct, and competence, and an understanding of the professional integrity and loyalty that will be asked of them.

GSTI offers programs in all six working languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, in addition to German, Japanese and Korean. Students can earn master’s degrees in translation, interpretation, or a combination of both translation and interpretation; and in the newly emerging field of translation/localization. A number of short courses and certificate programs are also available.

GSTI graduates can be found in high-profile assignments around the globe, from Security Council debates at the United Nations to Pacific Rim trade negotiations and treaties in multiple languages, to the Summer Olympic Games. Others translate technical specifications and manuals, books and scientific papers, and literary works.